Computer networks have become indispensable tools for modern business. Enterprises can use networks for communications and, further, can store data in various forms and at various locations. Critical information frequently propagates over a network of a business enterprise. Certain federal and state regulations provide restrictions covering the dissemination of particular types of information by various organizations or businesses. Thus, in addition to the potential loss of proprietary information and the resulting negative impact to business, an enterprise may also face legal liability for the inadvertent or intentional leakage of certain data. Modern enterprises often employ numerous tools to control the dissemination of such information and many of these tools attempt to keep outsiders, intruders, and unauthorized personnel from accessing or receiving confidential, valuable, or otherwise sensitive information. Commonly, these tools can include firewalls, intrusion detection systems, and packet sniffer devices.
The ability to offer a system or a protocol that provides an effective data management system, capable of securing and controlling the movement of important information, can be a significant challenge to security professionals, component manufacturers, service providers, and system administrators alike.